Sunday, August 31, 2008

Some years ago the First Solving Contest of the Chess Club Triandria (Salonica, Greece) has been organized on the Sunday 2002-12-01.
The problems were selected by Carlo DeGrandi.
There were 3 judges : Costas Youvantsioudis, Costas Papadopoulos, Carlo deGrandi.
Committee for examination of Objections : Byron Zappas, Odysseas Vazelakis, Pantelis Martoudis.

There were two groups each having with 12 solvers, having 2 hours time to solve 4 problems (only direcmates, with 5 points per problem, 20 points maximum).
Group A had to solve a two-mover, a three-mover, a four-mover and a five-mover.
Group B had to solve (Teenagers) should solve four two-movers.

The problem contains the theme [Lacny 2x3] (two phases and three variations with cyclic permutation of mates).

Theme Lacny pxv. It is developed over various phases (the number of phases is p).
In one phase there are some (a b c ... z) defences (the number of variations is v) which are answered with the mates (A B C ... Z).
In another phase the same (a b c ... z) defences are answered with a cyclic permutation of the mates (B C ... Z A).
The theme is named after the composer Ludovit Lacny, who has published in 1949 the first problem with relevant content.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

The studies are orthodox problems not constrained in their stipulation for a specific number of moves.
From all the creations in the realm of chess composition, the studies are most attractive for the over-the-board chess players.
The usual stipulations are : "White plays and wins" or "White plays and draws". Since they present some unexpected or hidden properties of the pieces, the players consider studies as very instructive.

Richard Reti has composed many beautiful studies. We show one of them as Problem-210, (we have seen it in the excellent blog of Roberto Stelling).
It seems there that White can capture the black Queen in a straightforward manner. We shall see that this is not possible the first time, nor in the second time, nor in the third time...

Monday, August 25, 2008

Mr. Carlo de Grandi was born (1948) in Venice, Italy. He studied Accounting and Informatics in Athens.
He has written the following books (in Greek)
(1) "About the origin and spreading of Zatrikion (Chess) through the centuries", (Istorical report). Athens, 1985 (1st edition), 1989 (2nd edition)
(2) "Istorical report for Magic Squares and Magic Stars", Athens, 1999
and he is preparing his third book "The Mathematics of the Party".

He learned to play chess when he was 10 years old. Later he limited this activity to chess by post only.

He is a composer and a solver of chess problems.
Since he started composing, in 1989, he has created more than 120 problems.

In problem-208, by Carlo DeGrandi, there is an interesting continuation with sacrifices of white pieces and guidance of black pieces. But the bK has always very restricted mobility, and there is only one series of moves.

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

In our previous post about Circe we said that it is an interesting Condition of the Fairy chess.

The world of the orthodox (directmate) problems has been described, many years ago, as a continent having very few unknown regions. Around this continent a magical sea is stretched, having many islands, some of which are uncartographed or unexplored. Many of these mythical islands are growing, just like the volcanic islands of the real world, and sometimes new islands emerge.

This is the case with “chess problem composition” (or “artistic chess” as we called it in Greece), where the fantasy of the composers endlessly creates new worlds, which the new composers are exploring, trying to map their limits.
In Homer's Odysseia, the island Aiaia (eea) of the nymphe witch Circe, doughter of Helios and Persa, was only one, but in Fairy Chess a whole archipelago of islands has been discovered with various kinds of the Circe Condition.

Let us see problem-202, by John Rice, which is composed in Zagoruiko frame, (that is, at least two defenses of the Black, always the same, are answered with different way in at least three Phases of the solution).

There are a few tries in this problem : {1.Bxd4(+bSb8)? Rxd4(+wBc1)!}, {1.Bxf5(+bPf7)+? Rxf5(+wBf1)+!}, {1.Sxd6+? Rxd6(+wSg1)!}, {1.Sf6+? Ke5!}.
Let us make a special note for the next two tries on the square c6 :

From the initial position only a white Rook is missing.
The Pawns can have this peculiar setting, because the captured pieces were not lost but regenerated, or reborn by Circe.
During the solution all black pieces are trapped and Black is stalemated.

In theme Zappas, one flight is guarded by three white pieces and in two moves the flight is unguarded, and this is repeated cyclically. There must be three thematic tries.
Here we observe that the square e5 is guarded by Bb8, Re8 and Qh8.

Thematic tries :
{1.Sxc4(+bPc7)? Already Bb8 is blocked,
and the threat [2.Sxe3(+bPe7)#] will block Re8,
so there is a defense 1...Rf6! to block Qh8.
It is no good to play 1...Bxc4(+wSb1)? 2.Sxc3(+bPc7)#}.

{1.Sxg4(+bPg7)? Already Qh8 is blocked ,
and the threat [2.Sxe3(+bPe7)#] will block Re8,
so there is a defense 1...Rd6! to block Bb8}.

{1.Qf8? The Qh8 has stopped guarding e5 in order to hold c5
and now is threatening [2.Sxc3(+bPc7)#], but this blocks Bb8
so there is a defense 1...Re6! to block Re8}.

Monday, August 11, 2008

One amazingly interesting condition of the Fairy chess is Circe Chess. There are many kinds of this condition. In the following we describe some of these kinds, ten kinds of Circe and one Anti-Circe, and we present an example of the first kind, the regular Circe.

1. Regular Circe : A captured piece is instantly reborn on the initial- game- square. (We name “initial- game- square” the square which is used for the initial placement of the piece when we start a classical chess game. For example, the white-squared white Bishop has f1 as initial- game- square).
If the initial- game- square is occupied, then the captured piece is out of the game (is lost).
If the captured piece is one of those which move on squares of various colors (i.e. R, S), then the piece is reborn on an initial- game- square with same colour as the capture- square. (For example a white Rook, if it is captured on the white c8 it will be reborn on the white h1, but if it is captured on the black d8 it will be reborn on the black a1).
If a Pawn is captured, it will be reborn on the initial- game- square of the same file where the capture- square is. (The initial- game- square of a white Pawn is on row-2, while the initial- game- square of a black Pawn is on row-7). The Circe condition is not applied on the King.
Castling with a reborn Rook is allowed.
The fairy pieces (which we believe that appeared after a strange Pawn promotion) are reborn on the promotion- square of the capture- file. (We know that the promotion happens on row-8 for white pieces and on row-1 for black pieces).

2. Circe Parrain : The square, where the captured piece-A will be reborn, is specified after the move of the next same-colored piece-B. The line from the capture- square to the regeneration- square is parallel, equal in length, and has the same direction with the move of piece-B. In other words, the piece-B by making its move specifies the name of the square for regeneration of piece-A (becomes the godfather, “parrain” in French).
The Pawns can be reborn on row-1 and on row-8. It it is promotion- row for them, they are instantly promoted to any piece the owner of the Pawn desires. If the row is not promotion- row, they can make (in a later move) a step on the file.

3. Circe Rex Inclusiv : It is like the regular Circe, but the Circe condition is valid for the Kings, that is the King can be captured and reborn on its initial- game- square. (If the square is occupied, it is the end of the game).

4. Diagram Circe : It is like the regular Circe, but the captured piece is reborn on the initial- diagram- square. (We name “initial- diagram- square” the square on which the captured piece was placed in the initial position of the problem).

5. Interchange Circe (German “Platzwechsel-Circe”, PWC) : It is like the regular Circe, but the captured piece is reborn on the departure- square of the capturing piece. Capturing piece and captured piece interchange places.

6. Kamikaze Circe : It is like the regular Circe, but additionally the capturing piece is also reborn.

7. Mirror Circe : It is like the regular Circe, but the captured piece is reborn as if it were of the opposite colour.

8. Reflecting Circe : The regeneration- square is symmetrical (with axis of symmetry the line between file-d and file-f) with the one that would be valid in regular Circe.

9. Symmetrical Circe : The regeneration- square is symmetrical (with center of symmetry the center of the chess-board) with the square of the capture. (Capture on g6, regeneration on b3).

10. Volcanic Circe : The captured piece is not out of the game when the regeneration square is occupied. The piece remains inactive “in” the square. Just as the square is evacuated, the captured piece reappears there having all its power.

11. Anti-Circe : On making a capture, the captured piece is lost and the capturing piece is reborn on its initial- game- square, but if it cannot be regenerated there the capture is forbidden.
A piece standing on its initial- game- square can make a capture remaining practically motionless!
A Pawn can capture with simultaneous promotion, if the regeneration- square of the promoted piece is unoccupied.Regular Circe, with multiple promotions

Now we will study the problem-201, by N. A. Macleod, with theme AUW and condition Circe, (which problem is the enlightening example on the web-page of British Chess Problem Society after following the link “Fairy Chess”).
On writing the solution of a Circe problem, after each capture move, we note inside a parenthesis that a piece is added, (i.e. (bBc8) means that a black Bishop is added on square c8).

The problem has various tries :
{1.Sg1+? / Sxd2+? / Sh2+? / Sh4+? / Sg5+? / Sxd4+? Bd5!}, and we understand that it is of no use to lift the Knight Sf3 and check by discovery of the Bishop Bh1, because the black Bishop Ba2 can be interposed on d5, and if it is captured there by the wB giving check (2.Bh1xd5(+bBc8)+), the bB is reborn on c8 and can be interposed again on b7! As it seems we are out of moves since the problem is a two-mover. But suppose we insisted with (3.Bd5xb7(+bBc8)+), then the bB would be reborn on c8 and it would capture the wB (3...Bc8xb7(+wBf1)).
{1.Qe4+? Bd5!}, similar comment, as with previous tries.
{1.b3? Bxb3(+wPb2)!}.
{1.Qxd2? [2.Qa5#] Bc4!},
{1.Ra7+? Kxa7(+wRa1)!}, because during this Phase the Ra7 is unsupported.

Key : 1.Kb4! (zz). The key is not threatening something, (basically the file-a is evacuated), and is bringing Black into a zugzwang situation. If the wRe1 is captured, it will be reborn on a1 and will pin the bBa2, (and then the wSf3 will be lifted to discover wBh1, which will check-mate).

1...dxe1=B(+wRa1)+. Here the move (2.Sxe1(+bBf8)+) is forbidden since the bB is reborn on a square where it continues to check. The correct continuation is (2.Sd2#) and bBe1 is unable to interfere.

1...dxe1=S(+wRa1), and bSe1 can interfere on the main diagonal. White is futile to continue with (2.Sxe1(+bSb8)+?), since the bS is reborn on a square from which it can again interfere on the main diagonal. The correct continuation is (2.Qe4#).

The problem has achieved the four promotions (theme Allumwandlung, AUW).
In the next variation we see a peculiarity of the Circe condition, namely that a piece can support itself!

1...B~ 2.Ra7#. Now that bB has evacuated file-a, the defense (2...Kxa7(+wRa1)?) is forbidden since wR is reborn on a1 and guards a7. That is, during the Phase of the actual play the white Rook supports itself from a great distance and from the future! We see now why the white King in the key-move left file-a!

Monday, August 04, 2008

The biography you are about to read was written by Kostas Prentos in 2006, (and published in the edition "Kostas Prentos 40 Jubilee Tourney 2006" of the Greek Chess Composition Committee, December 2006)

"I was born 28/08/1966 in Thessaloniki. I graduated from the Economic University of Thessaloniki and I am currently working as an accountant. I am not married.

I learned the moves of chess at the late age of 12 but I was immediately hooked. Triantafyllos Siaperas, a chess author and journalist, influenced me in my early chess steps. His weekly newspaper columns, and the chess problems featured in them, somehow sparked my interest for chess problems long before my first club games. Before the age of 15, I composed my first problems, as puzzles for my friends to solve. I joined a chess club in 1982 and began playing tournament chess, but my strong interest for chess problems and studies remained.

During the 1984 Chess Olympiad in Thessaloniki, I had the opportunity to participate in my first solving tourney and enjoyed the experience very much. Later I successfully participated in further solving tourneys, and became a regular solver.

The friendship and frequent correspondence with the skilled composer Harry Fougiaxis taught me a great deal about helpmates and fairy problems and especially how to appreciate a chess problem aesthetically. As a result, I was involved in composing more seriously and between 1987 and 1991 I composed a few chess problems and published a dozen of them, mostly fairy helpmates and proof games. I lost interest in composing and solving after 1991, for almost 10 years. At the same time, I was playing a lot of tournament chess; I became Candidate Master in 1987, Master in 1990 and FIDE Master in 1995.

The Internet revolution changed the world in general but in particular, it gave chess a boost. I started playing chess online, and especially enjoyed playing losing chess and progressive chess. It was a small group of problemists formed in the Internet Chess Club which reinstated my lost interest in chess problems, around 2001. I started composing again and I have published more than 100 problems in the last few years, the majority of them being proof games.

In 2002, the organization of the 1st Greek Solving Championship triggered my involvement in solving again. I have participated in all World Solving Championships since then and I was awarded the title of International Solving Master in 2004."

The continuation of the text is written by Alkinoos :

The situation now, 08/2008, is almost the same...
Kostas Prentos repeatedly takes the First Prize in every local Solving Contest he participates and he is seven times (in seven contests) Champion of Greece in Solving Chess Problems.
In the 50th WCCC, held in Rhodes Greece (October 2007), he was honoured as composer and he also (together with Nikos Kalessis) took First place in bughouse chess contest. In order for you to judge if this was a notable result, we present here the final list of the players (in parenthesis [Solver ELO if the player is a solver] and [Country]) coming from various countries :

This is a help-problem, where normally Black plays first, but the moves are 6.5 so White plays first. Furthermore, the goal is not the win, but the draw.
The stipulation could be "White plays and with the help of Black draws in 6.5 moves".

During the solution we see, twice, opening of a line by a white piece, reverse move of a black piece on this line, and switchback of the white piece only to be annihilated. The solution is :

The way that bK makes his triangle, f2-e2-e3 or e2-f2-e3, specifies the file of promotion of the Pawn b4. Behind the King are hiding two linear pieces with mutual roles : the one must not support the Pawn to be captured, the other must block a flight. The solution follow :Key : 1.Kf2 b5 2.Re1! b6 3.Ke2 b7 4.Bf2 b8=Q 5.Ke3 Qxe5#Key : 1.Ke2 b5 2.Bg1! bxc6 3.Kf2 c7 4.Re2 c8=Q 5.Ke3 Qxc5#

The 36th issue of the Greek magazine "Skaki gia Olous" (=Chess for everybody) is in circulation, since 19-06-2008, from the editions Kedros. The front page of the issue contains a photo of Kostas Prentos, who was nominated Champion of Greece for seventh consecutive year in the Seventh Contest of Solving Chess Problems! The column of artistic chess of this issue is dedicated to the contest of this year and to the success of the multi-champion from Thessaloniki.

Sunday, August 03, 2008

The seventh Chess Problems Solving Contest in Greece, organized by the Greek Chess Federation (E.S.O.), was successfully held at the hospitable Chess Club of Aegaleo (Sunday, June 01, 2008).
Twenty one solvers have participated, having 4 hours time to solve 12 problems (the Group-A) or 8 problems (the Group-B). The problems were selected by the IM Harry Fougiaxis.

Friday, August 01, 2008

Training is useful for solvers.
Try to solve these problems, given in an actual Solving Contest in Greece.

Participating is also very important.
The practice in a real situation improves the abilities of a solver.

Observe in the solutions the way grading points are distributed in variations.
The points are written with boldface numbers inside brackets.
When we write down the solution, we must not omit important variations.

Instructions : The correct and complete solution of each problem is graded with 5 points. The incomplete solution takes less points.
#2 : Write only the first move (the "key").
#3 : Write the key, the threat (if exists) and all the variations up to the second white move.
More-mover : Write the key, the threat (if exists) and all the variations up to the last-but-one white move.
Study : Write all the moves up to the position of the obvious winning of White.
Selfmate : Write the key, the threat (if exists) and all the variations up to the last white move.
Helpmate : Write all the moves (for all the solutions). Black plays first.First Round, Time : 2 hours

If the bK is moved, then the wK will be checked by the bBf7.
There are a few tries : {1.Bd6? Bxe5!}, {1.Kb2? Bxe5+!}, {1.Bc6+? Ke6!}, {1.exf6? axb5!}, {1.Rd4+? Kxe5+!}, {1.Sd4? Sxe5!}. The solution follows :

The white Queen forms an indirect battery with the Rook Rb4. This is not a direct battery, because it does not aim towards the black King but towards its flights. The Black will try to place something on c4 to create a flight to d4. If the black Queen leaves the diagonal a2-g8, the white King is not threatened with a possible discovered check and he can take advantage of that.

Exercises of the day

Every day the website www.shredderchess.com offers to the readers of the blogs three easy chess exercises. They are given in three levels of difficulty, (L1, L2, and L3), and you may give the solution by moving the pieces with the mouse pointer. Below the diagram is then shown if the answer is correct or not.

If you miss OTB play...

Google Analytics

SHOW THAT YOU ARE INTERESTED

READ THIS BLOG AS A TEXTBOOK, STARTING FROM (23-03-2008) Hello AND CONTINUING WITH EVERY [NEWER POST].THE COMMENTS ARE USEFUL (AND WELCOMED).SOLVE THE PROBLEMS, STUDY THE SOLUTIONS, ASK US ABOUT ANYTHING INTERESTS YOU IN RELATION WITH COMPOSITION AND SOLVING OF CHESS PROBLEMS.(04/2008)